5.Dubai's 80km fourth highway explained: Journey time cut by 60%, key road upgrades

Thu, Sep 17, 2026 | Rabi al-Thani 6, 1448 | Fajr 04:48|DXB 33.7°C

Motorists using Dubai's planned Fourth Corridor could see journey times on parts of the route slashed by more than half, with one section cutting a 35-minute drive to just 14 minutes.

Details of the project show the 80km corridor will be developed in two phases, which are expected to serve around 600,000 and 3.1 million people, respectively.

The project is being called the Fourth Corridor because it will become the fourth strategic road axis linking the UAE's emirates, after Sheikh Zayed Road/Al Ittihad Road, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road and Emirates Road.

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Sharjah to Dubai-Al Ain Road: The first phase will stretch around 30km from Al Shnouf Road in Sharjah to Dubai-Al Ain Road. Journey time is expected to fall by 60 per cent, from 35 minutes to 14.

Dubai-Al Ain Road to Abu Dhabi: The second phase will run for 50km from Dubai-Al Ain Road to Al Fayah Road in Abu Dhabi. Journey time is expected to drop by 52 per cent, from 50 minutes to 24.

Capacity: Each phase will have 12 lanes in total across both directions, with capacity for up to 24,000 vehicles per hour.

The first phase will run from Al Shnouf Road in Sharjah to Dubai-Al Ain Road, while the second will continue from Dubai-Al Ain Road to Al Fayah Road in Abu Dhabi.

This will create another strategic road connection across the three emirates and strengthen Dubai’s links with the federal road network.

The route will also pass Al Maktoum International Airport, Al Marmoom Nature Reserve, the Desert Wildlife Reserve and the Etihad Rail route. It will serve several residential and development areas, including Madinat Latifa, Madinat Hind, Al Yalayis, Al Awir and Dubailand.

Authorities said the corridor would also support future urban expansion in new areas, help integrate the road network with major transport projects and support the logistics and commercial transport sectors.

The project will involve widening Dubai-Al Ain Road from three to four lanes in each direction between Emirates Road and Lehbab Road.

Four major intersections will also be upgraded as part of the first phase.

A key aim of the corridor is to divert through traffic, particularly trucks, away from urban areas.

The Roads and Transport Authority said this would help reduce pressure on existing road corridors while improving traffic flow and road safety.

The corridor is also expected to support commercial transport and strengthen Dubai’s logistics sector.

The scale of the project will involve significant new infrastructure.

Across the two phases, it will include 72 bridges, 17 tunnels and 45 stormwater drainage culverts.

The first phase will include around 55 lane-kilometres of surface roads, 2.5km of tunnels and 21km of bridges and ramps.

The second phase will include around 190 lane-kilometres of surface roads, 3.5km of tunnels and 157km of bridges and ramps.

The project will be delivered in two phases because of its scale.

The first phase, from Al Shnouf Road to Dubai-Al Ain Road, is estimated to cost around Dh3.5 billion.

As Associate Editor, Sahim Salim helps tell the UAE story like no one else does — and leads a team of reporters that asks the questions to get news and headlines that matter.

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